Cellulose is one of the most abundant renewable organic materials in the world, yet, for all of its availability, cellulose has not yet reached its potential in many areas of application. One of the principle reasons is that, for most applications, natural cellulose is unsuitable.
Natural cellulose in the form of wood is a highly crystalline polymer of .beta.-1,4-linked glucose units. It is insoluble in water and common organic solvents; nevertheless, for many applications of use, it is first necessary to dissolve it and then form it into the desired products from solution.